Greek Dances Are Urged for Opera

Barefooted, gracefully swaying dancers attired in light, flowing robes like those of the ancient Greek women, will interpret the music if a movement to introduce Greek dances in grand opera proves successful.
Mrs. Jean Van Vlissingen, [unclear] Davis street, Evanston, a teacher of Greek dances, expects soon to begin to train a group of fifty girls for Chicago's next grand opera season.
Miss Virginia [unclear] will be the premiere dauseuse of that group.
"The Italian sixteenth century school of dancing as modified by the French has always been represented as the dance of the opera," said Mrs. Van Llissingen. "The dances are simply an exhibition of wonderful skill with mechanical perfection."
Mrs. Van Vlissingen said many artist members of the opera club favored a change from the ballet, adding:
"The Greed dances can interpret the spirit and story of the opera. The grace of the body is given absolute freedom and the robes are far more artistic than the abbreviated skirts used by the ballet dancers.
"It always has been my ambition to see classic dances intoduced into the opera. I have already composed dances for Faust and several other operas."
Lorado Taft, the sculptor, said he thought that the ballet dances appeared stupid in some operas.
"The ordinary ballet is meaningless," he said. "The Greek costumes are beautiful. I enjoy dances giving an intelligent presentation of the theme of the opera.
"There is no freedom in the ordinary ballet. It is composed simply of a series of acrobatic stunts. In the Greek dances the human body can interpret the sprit of the music to a much fuller extent." Alfred Juergens, an artist, declared that he believed that the classic dances were more in harmony with the general thought of the opera.
"The classic dances are far more artistic," he said. "They were tried with the opera in Munich fifteen years ago with great success. I can see no reason why they should not be used in the opera in Chicago. However, the scenery should also be made more classic."